To Save the Date or Not to Save the Date - That is the Question

Every wedding site tells you Save the Dates *What I will lovingly call STDs* are optional. OPTIONAL? Well if it's optional... forget it.

Not because I dont want to include every single aspect for my wedding but simply because 1) They are not cost effective, 2) Postage is killer these days and 3) Word of mouth works just as well.

Then, as I was perusing through Michaels Craft Store the other day, scoping out my future DIY wedding invites, I happened upon a bin of $1 items. Recipe Cards, 20 cards for $1.

They presented themselves in pretty harvesty colors. Yellows with various fruits on them... Perfect for a fall wedding... If only they could be useful...

The wheels started turning in my head... Could these be made into STDs? Of course they could... but would it be cost effective?

On to the metallic colored pens. 1 Gold Metallic colored pen $1.99, 1 Silver Metallic colored pen $1.99, Enough Recipe cards to send everyone one AND have plenty to mess up on before, $7.00.

The recipe cards were on heavy cardstock with a glossy finish and exact postcard size. Postcard postage is MUCH less... 28 cents a stamp exactly.

So home I went with my treasures.

And they read as following:

From the Kitchen of: *Kristen and Brian*
Recipe for: *Eternal Love*
*1) Take Starstruck Love
2) Add in 2 helpings of Devotion
3) Mix in 2 different backgrounds
4) Add in coffee, chocolate and Time
5) Top with 1 sweet little boy
6) Stir until fully blended

Oven temp: 10/09/10 Time: 11 AM Serves: Love*

My STDs were born. Total cost including postage? $27.80.

I was able to add an element to our wedding I wished we could do but didn't have the heart to budget for, for mere pennies.

The pictures are of my first two attempts, after several mess ups I was able to get the cursive handwriting perfect and elegant. The picture is a bit grainy as they were taken on my phone.